"No thread yet?" Well, yea, the show wasn't much good. I didn't pay close attention, but the 10 seconds staredown between AJ and Stephanie might have been the best moment on the show.

This show was focused on building WWE's next big show. Strangely - especially for a promotion who needs to sell some subscriptions - the next big show turns out to be next week's RAW. Wyatt/Jericho in a cage, Orton/Reigns in a SummerSlam rematch. And, in a transparently desperate reach for mainstream attention, they invited Michael Sam to appear on the show. There was no hint of what he would do, but he's not coming so it doesn't really matter.

The show itself was supposed to prove why Cena should be in the title match. Cena spent the main event having a tantrum on the apron, then tagging out before the winning pinfall (Reigns on Kane, because of course) and screaming at HHH. This made for a significantly more dislikable John Cena than usual.

The other focus was on Bella/Bella. They can be good in the right roles. This dialouge is not the right role. After a series of Nikki dishing dirt on Brie pre-tape clips, the in-ring bit included Stephaine, both Bellas, AJ and Paige. Interestingly, at least to me, AJ and Paige seemed to be added right at the top of the hour as if WWE felt they needed them to carry this segment. Probably not totally true - cameras went out of their way to hide Paige near the end of the segment (either because she was mugging for the camera more than they wanted or to hide the ludicrous Brie->Nikki->Paige dominoes bump they had planned for the end.) AJ tried to walk off with the belt, Stephanie cut her off, and they had a WrestleMania staredown to CM Punk chants. That was a thing.

Match results, stolen from F4- Miz & Cesaro defeated Ziggler & Sheamus- Layla & Naomi & Summer Rae defeated Rosa Mendes & Eva Marie & Cameron (lasted less time than it took to read that)- Henry/Big Show defeat Harper/Rowan via DQ (Rusev interference; Henry later asked Show to put the tag team on hold so he could go after Rusev. Show agreed but there's a non-zero chance he's turning heel by the end of this.)- Jack Swagger defeats Curtis Axel (Zeb returned, Bo introduced people who were hurt by Jack losing to Rusev)- Adam Rose defeats Titus O'Neil (existed only so the Bunny could beat up Heath Slater; we weren't supposed to think it was anyone important under the suit, just supposed to be hilarious)- Rusev beats Zack Ryder- Goldust beat Jimmy Uso (repeating the apology/attack bit from the non-RAW shows last week)- Cena & Reigns & Jericho beat Rollins & Kane & Orton

Oh man, I can't believe Show and Henry's epic three-week run as a team could be coming to such a tragic end.

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball

This show was boring. If you DVR'd the show, pass on it. If not, well, I hope you flipped the channel at some point.

So far the biggest crowd reaction during all this Bella/Bella stuff is for CM Punk. And this was from a crowd that was deader than dead at moments; watching Uso V Dust to silence made the match out to be worse than it was.

Henry with a microphone in hand was the highlight for me. Wow, me from 15 years ago is really confused I typed that.

Cena threatening a lawsuit is silly. That's the problem with the WWE these days, it's way too sue happy. This used to be where people settled their differences in the ring somehow; that's the sole reason a lot of people watch.

While Micheal Sam might've looked really good by collecting a few sacks in the NFL, and he has a spot in the CFL right now, I don't see how going to Baltimore next Monday really helps anything. At all. It doesn't help him whatsoever since he's not a wrestler. It wouldn't help the WWE at all; if they wanted to look strong in the eyes of the LGBT community they wouldn't have swept Darren Young under a rug. This is a case of the WWE conceding to the NFL and knowing a portion of their internet fanbase will even be sucked away to Fantasy Football for a few months.

"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Frown and the world laughs at you."-Me.

Holy cow! THAT'S what The E put up for the week before the NFL comes back to take their lunch money? This show was downright offensive!

-So...many...Bella segments. And all of them were beyond awful! I can't believe that not only are they NOT pulling the plug on this abomination of a feud, but they're dragging AJ and Paige into it. But the worst part of that whole segment was that even with four Divas all purportedly feuding in one segment, Stephanie McMahon just can't help herself and just HAS to be the one standing tall at the end. You know...to hammer home who the REAL star is.-What a colossal waste of time that entire deal with Cena and the McMahon-Helmsley Regime was. So after destroying any shred of credibility Bray Wyatt had left last week, this week John Cena murders any heat Seth Rollins might have had. It's just maddening how counter-productive this entire thing is. Lexus already made the point that so many top angles revolving around litigation only serves to make the product look pathetic.-REALLY? They're going to exploit the Michael Sam story? What exactly is the result they're hoping to achieve here? Is there any way that this doesn't end with everyone looking like idiots? Cubs already pointed out that he won't show up, because no sane person would jeopardize his standing with the NFL by making a spectacle of himself, so all this did was serve to make the company look desperate.

I can't even begin to fathom how wretched this show is becoming. But I'm just a jaded jerk on the internet, right? So don't take my word for it! Let's hear from some more esteemed names.

I love #WWE & respect the company. WWE gave me SO much-But it drives me crazy when they insult viewers by force-feeding them absurd stories.

Best thing about this show was Damien Mizdow yelling ACTION. Sandow is unstoppable.

Second best thing about this show was Rollins randomly trying to cheap shot Reigns with the briefcase, getting caught, and running away like a jabroni. In Iowa, where Rollins predictably had the huge home field advantage. Every time they shoot Roman in the foot, an angel gets its wings.

"I love #WWE & respect the company. WWE gave me SO much-But it drives me crazy when they insult viewers by force-feeding them absurd stories."

Have you ever watched IMPACT over the past 2 years?

"WTF am I watching????"

All the top draws in the company save the uncrowned champion and the literal champion clustered in the ring together at the top of the show and no Pier Six brawl erupting; instead we hear about a lawsuit and actually schedule the match for the Main Event.

"“@smashwrestling: Isn't Brie Mode when she gets really drunk?” I wish I was really drunk"

None too difficult to accomplish.

"Way to use your 22 year-old Diva Champion phenom to her full potential. You go, Creative!"

Eh, you've had boneheaded notions in the past, but damn if you didn't keep divas over. Still didn't see Paige look bad, just involved in more of a Pier Six brawl than the menfolk at the top of the show.

1. The bunny can pay off bigger than huge. Imagine if at a show the damned bunny clocks Rose and beats up the other Rosebuds, unmasks and its CM Punk. Or the bunny cleans house and reveals himself to be Sting. Kurt Angle. Daniel Bryan. Steve Austin. Dean to the motherfuckin' Ambrose is our most likely candidate, and he'd make it work. It's a huge cheap pop waiting to happen, but it'd be so damned impressive and have that 'holy shit' feel if done.

2. Had to look up Paul Boesch. Don't know why he'd be doing that unless his strictest held beliefs were in the name of twins not fighting.

3. The Bellas HAVE been dull.

"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Frown and the world laughs at you."-Me.

Did the Bella storyline just jump the Katie Vick? Cena is going to sue the WWE for the one time he doesn't get the title shot? That is, the update status of this entire Millennial Entitlement Generation. There is a financial analyst who says they are going to see a spike in Network Subscriptions after SummerSlam. I am going to go out on a limb and say he has never watched this show...ever.

I don't know if WWE goes into the tank in the fall due to MNF or what. Yet, every year, you can just walk out away from this show and nothing major will happen. Why no one has figured out astounds me.

I have way too much Fantasy Booker in me. I thought for a second that where this was going with the Bellas was a cage match between the two, with Stephanie McMahon as special guest referee. And the SHOCKING SWERVE where they both turn to her after the bell rings and attack.

Anyone else question why Mark Henry was so damn sweaty during his half-hour-after-any-physical-action chat with Big Show? What was he doing??

I only caught the last hour and a half or so due to in-laws visiting, and I only half-watched between that and the Dodgers-Nats game ... but were there a lot fewer "earlier tonight" clips than usual or did I just not see them?

"What a way to kick off Raw live" is said regardless of what actually kicks off RAW live. This time it was a choir of yap-yap. I liked Batista's subdued style of talking. It was novel for a big guy back then. Reigns however needs to raise his intensity. His remarks to Orton sounded bored.

The show ends with Reigns pinning Deadweight Kane, and Cena posing in the ring with a sign. I'm thinking Mania needs to end with them fighting each other.

Any idea how much of today's shows are still being made by and to appease Vince? Just wondering if we have to hang in there or if this is a sign of how things are going to be. I'm guessing it might not matter either way.

I have nothing positive to say about this show. We are in an unhappy place.

Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoAny idea how much of today's shows are still being made by and to appease Vince? Just wondering if we have to hang in there or if this is a sign of how things are going to be. I'm guessing it might not matter either way.

I have nothing positive to say about this show. We are in an unhappy place.

I decided to skip this show again and go out with friends on Labor Day. Am rather pleased with my decision after hearing how awful this show was. WWE is beyond pathetic right now, with the bookers showing their incompetence, Stephanie insisting on the spotlight in a feud she's not even really in anymore, and most of the good talent out on injury or filming movies.

It sounds like they're trying to build up next week's RAW a lot, and I may actually check it out if only for Jericho/Wyatt in the cage. Considering that Jericho is about to leave again and Wyatt had all the heat sucked out of him by Super John 'Black Hole' Cena, Wyatt could definitely use the rub. So they'll probably have him lose after Heath Slater interferes or something. Maybe Adam Rose's bunny.

I can honestly say there's not a single moment I wish I'd seen, which is really awful for RAW. I almost miss Monday Nitro. At least they pretended to give a shit back then. I think they really are writing off the majority of their audience for Handegg. Too bad I despise Handegg and wouldn't watch it if it was the last active station on the planet, so I'm stuck either with crappy RAWs or finding something else to entertain me on Mondays.